


Burning Waters

by paintedbluerose



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bato smacks sense into him though, Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hakoda a bit stupid at times, Hakoda just trying to survive, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), It Gets Worse, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Minor Character Death, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Ozai A+ parenting, Ozai likes occasional murder, Parental Hakoda (Avatar), The better doesn't last, Torture, Ursa needs to make better deals, Water Tribe Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar) whump, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, no one asked for this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26567362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedbluerose/pseuds/paintedbluerose
Summary: Ozai made a deal with Ursa not to kill Zuko. He didn't, however, make a deal for Zuko to survive or stay in the Fire Nation. Ursa should have been more specific in her deals.No matter. Ozai won't be the one to personally kill Zuko. He'll just make it very hard for him to survive.
Relationships: Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Ozai & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Water Tribe & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 199
Kudos: 613





	1. A deal is made

**Author's Note:**

> So like, I haven't written anything in years. I've had so many ideas recently but every time I try, I think of how horrible they are. This idea came most recently and Ozai would not shut up. He demanded to be heard. I wrote this quickly and it's not the best (I apologize for that) but I couldn't get it out of my head. Hopefully it gets better?

Things were going perfectly for a change. When Ozai told his father he should take Iroh’s place as next Firelord, he never dreamed he would be commanded to kill his son. He had been trying to do that since Zuko was born and now he had his father’s blessing and the Firelord’s order to do so. He could only pretend killing Zuko would be horrible as he knelt in front of his father.  
  
Ozai tried not smile as he walked back to his room and planned. How to kill his son? Well, there were plenty of ways, of course, but which one? It had to be painful. Let the boy suffer as he realized he was going to die.

His wife interrupted his thoughts with her incessant nagging and pleading. She found out. Ozai almost rolled his eyes at the situation. Azula was listening because she always does-Ozai taught her well. Azula must have gone to her brother to gloat. Zuko would have cried and not believed Azula. Ursa would have tried to comfort Zuko. Ozai would have to teach Azula to keep her mouth shut.

He didn’t care what she said until she mentioned a deal. A way to kill his father and become Firelord overnight. He wouldn’t be able to kill Zuko as she wanted to protect her child. It actually would work in his favor. Killing Zuko would be quick in the grand scheme of things. But torturing Zuko? That could go on for years.

A deal was made. A promise to not kill the worthless boy was made. By sunrise, his father would be dead and his wife would be long gone. Banishment and the punishment of being caught were enough to keep her from ever coming back.

It was a shame that Ursa didn’t think about anything besides preventing Zuko’s death. It would be the last mistake she would make.

~~

It didn’t take long for Ursa to make her poison. It didn’t take long for the poison to act. Ozai would have been impressed if he cared enough. Instead, he had other problems to worry about. Like tying up loose ends. That’s what Li was for.

Li was in the corner of Ozai’s room, waiting in the shadows. Ozai saw him and walked out to the balcony. He knew Li would follow. It didn’t take long and Li still hung back in the shadows. If Ozai was someone else, he would have worried. But Li was able to handle any situation with discretion. He already proved himself so there was no need for Ozai to worry.

“My father was poisoned. He’ll be dead before morning. The person responsible for this is banished,” Ozai said. 

“It would be a shame if the person was caught still inside the Fire Nation.”

Ozai smirked. Li had a habit of knowing what Ozai wanted before he said a thing. “They have until morning to flee the Capital. If caught, punishment for treason is death.” Ozai looked below at the gardens and noticed his wife escaping. 

“I heard there’s a hidden room underneath the throne room that’s soundproof.” Li stood next to Ozai, his face focused on Ursa below. “No one can hear screams coming from there.”

“It would be a shame if my wife was found in that room.” Ozai used Li’s own words and waited until Li looked at him. Once Li nodded, Ozai walked back inside. Li would handle everything.

~~

It was a week later Ozai saw Li. It didn’t take that long for Li to accomplish his task-that was completed before the next morning-but Ozai wanted to make Ursa wait, make her suffer. Not to mention, he had to plan and throw suspicion off of himself. Too many Royals dead or missing all at once and people suspect something. His nephew was dead, his father was dead, and his wife was missing. Having his son disappear right away would point fingers. But if he planned it correctly, no one would suspect a thing.

Ozai waited until the middle of the night, when most of the Palace was fast asleep, before slipping through the hidden passageways that lead to room Li and Ursa was. Logically, he could go and do whatever, whenever he pleased. But having the guards that followed him around follow him as he dealt with his wife would cause more problems.

He saw his wife chained up against the wall with Li standing guard. It brought a smile to his face. “Ursa, my dear, you’re still here.”

“Ozai, we had a deal. I did my part. Why am I still here?”

He could see the fear in her eyes, could smell the fear radiating off of her, could taste the fear in the air. “We did have a deal. You saved Zuko and I become Firelord. That was our deal, wasn’t it?”

“Then why am I here?” She pulled against her chains. “Why am I still at the Palace?”

“The deal was for Zuko. Not for you.” He smirked seeing her pale in realization. “I agreed to not kill Zuko. And I won’t. However, I never agreed not to hurt the boy, not to make him wish I killed him, not to destroy the weakling.”

“Ozai, please! You can’t do this! He’s your son!”

“You’re my wife. You should have stayed by my side no matter what. Instead, you decided to become a traitor. Tell me Ursa, what is the punishment of a traitor?”

Ursa looked away from Ozai. “It’s death.”

He grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. He wanted to tell her what he was going to do to Zuko, wanted to watch her suffer and beg, watch her plead again and again. She chose Zuko. She chose wrong. “Zuko will live. For now, he’ll live. He won’t survive what’s going to happen.”

“Ozai, please, Ozai…”

She would not shut up. She begged and begged and begged. It wasn’t his fault she chose wrong. She was his wife. She should have been loyal to him. She chose Zuko.

His anger flared the more she spoke, the more she cried. It was her fault. No, it was Zuko’s fault. If it wasn’t for Zuko, Ursa wouldn’t be here. Ursa would have chosen right. His anger festered and boiled. It grew as his fire he unconsciously held grew. It grew as the fire burned through her clothes and ate away at her chest. It grew as her screams grew, echoing the empty room.

She chose Zuko. She chose wrong. She chose Zuko over him. She chose wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Finally, his anger slowed down as the silence engulfed him. He hadn’t realized he lost control until the smell of burning flesh hit him. He blinked, taking in the situation. Blinked to ground himself. Fire was still in his right hand. His left hand still held onto Ursa. Ursa’s chest was burnt away, blood poured down, and her heart was exposed. Her heart that wasn’t beating. How long was he out of it? Or did he just use that much power? Either way, Ursa was dead.

He turned around and saw Li still stood at the same spot. “Do you have a ship?” A random question, but Li didn’t seem to mind. Li simply nodded. “I will need you to take Zuko away…for some training. How long will it take you to get to the Southern Water Tribe?”

“About two to three weeks.”

“What about to get close enough to drop something off without being spotted by the Water Tribe? How quickly can do you do that?”

“If we push it, less than two weeks.”

Ozai calculated the time in his head. By the time Iroh would be back in the Fire Nation, Zuko would already be in the freezing waters. Iroh might not say anything right away due to his grief, but Ozai knew his brother was attached to Zuko. Once Iroh realized Zuko was missing, it would be too late to do anything about it. Zuko would be dead or in the hands of the Water Tribe, which Ozai could use to destroy every last one of them if need be.

Realizing it could work, he spoke of his plan. He told Li exactly what to bring and what to do. How Zuko would be brought on the ship, how Zuko would be left for training, and how Zuko would be drugged and chained throughout the journey. “Will your crew have any problems with handling any of this?” Ozai asked though he didn’t need to.

“My crew is full of criminals who love money. If it wasn’t for you, we’d all be dead. The only problem would be the entertainment and what to do when Zuko isn’t drugged.”

“Your crew are free to do whatever you like to Zuko during the journey.” Ozai knew exactly what sort of men the crew were. That’s why he hired them. Men who would abused, who murdered, who tortured-those were the men Ozai wanted to work for him. “As long as you do what I asked to dispose of him, I don’t care what else happens.”

Li smiled like Ozai just granted him the world. “It will be done.” Ozai turned to walk away but stopped when Li spoke up. “Shall I dispose of the body?”

Ozai was going to tell Li that he just gave instructions on how to handle Zuko when he realized Li was looking at Ursa. A very dead Ursa. “Not yet. Zuko should say goodbye before his journey. Dispose of her during your voyage in the water.” 

“Of course.”

~~

During breakfast, Ozai regretted not sleeping the previous night. Granted, he killed his wife and started his plan to dispose of his worthless brat. But he was exhausted. If that wasn’t enough, the brat would not shut up about his mother. He looked so lost as he asked if mother was going to come to breakfast today. No you stupid insolent weakling. She was never coming back. She chose you and you will regret that.

“Prince Zuko, I have news for you. I have found a new Firebending teacher for you.” Ozai saw Zuko perk up at that. “Unfortunately, he won’t be able come here so I’ve arranged for you to go to him.”

Zuko stood up quickly. “I should get ready now!”

“No. Sit down. I have already told a servant to get a few things packed for you. You aren’t leaving until this afternoon. After you and I talk about how you should behave during your journey and while you’re there.”

Zuko shrunk back down in his seat. “Yes father.”

“Good. You’ll join me for tea before lunch and we’ll discuss everything.”

“Yes father.”

“Don’t worry Zuko, everything will change for you after this.”


	2. Don't Drink the Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko finds out what his father has in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was super excited to see the comments from the last chapter! Thank you!! I love comments. I actually got super excited and had to get this chapter quickly for everyone. I was going to combine this with the previous one but this is a lot of heartbreak and I couldn't do that.
> 
> Also, I forget to mention about tw and well, there's abuse and violence and some characters die during the story. Sorry. I try to mention in the tags because I'm bad about remember to put in the notes.

Zuko was excited. He was going to have a private firebending teacher. If he had to travel, it could be like it was for Master Piandao’s house. Away from his father and sister, away from the taunts and teases of not being good enough. Maybe he would improve. Maybe he wouldn’t be so worthless.

Even though he wanted to run out right away and leave for training, his father said he wasn’t leaving until later. He used his stern voice which meant Zuko had to listen to him. If he didn’t listen and obey, he would be punished. He hated that voice because he hated being punished. It seemed all he heard of late was that voice, all he felt was punishment.

After he finished eating and his father dismissed him, he sprinted down to his room. There were other things he should be doing but he wanted to see what was packed. On his bed, he noticed a small sack with his swords sticking out. The thought of having his swords with him made him even more excited. His father was letting him take his swords with him! His father, who hated the fact that Zuko used swords, made sure they were packed for him. Maybe he wasn’t entirely worthless. Maybe he could make his father proud of him. This could be his chance-he would not be a disappointment.

For now, though, Zuko had to wait. He wasn’t sure exactly when he would be called for tea but he should be out practicing, not inside his room. With a smile of what was going to happen, he left his room and headed towards the gardens to practice his forms.

It wasn’t long-maybe an hour-till a servant came to fetch Zuko. Zuko expected tea to be outside like it was with his Uncle and mother, or in the tea room inside that his father liked. Instead, he was brought to the Firelord’s study, which he had never been before. It was always off limits when his grandfather was Firelord.

His father was sitting at a table as Zuko entered. Tea was placed at both seats and Zuko could smell the Jasmine, reminding him of his Uncle.

“Come, sit, Prince Zuko.” His father gestured. “I have already set up a place for you to sit and the tea is ready.”

“Yes father.” He bowed in respect as he had been so often taught. “Thank you for your invitation.”

“You will be leaving this afternoon with a special crew. This time, you won’t have your Uncle with you. It will just be you. Do you remember how to behave?”

Zuko finished his cup of tea before answering. It wasn’t at all like Uncle’s tea. He couldn’t place why. “I should be respectful and listen to the Captain. Don’t order them around as they will know more than I would.”

“That’s correct.” His father poured Zuko more tea. “Now what if they say or do something that you don’t like?”

Zuko sipped more tea and thought about the question. “I should tell them to stop…?”

“No Zuko. You won’t. You will do nothing. Do you know why?”

“No father.”

“Because they’re following orders from the Firelord.”

“I…I don’t understand father.”

“Don’t tell me you’re stupid as well as worthless. Think about it.”

Zuko was surprised at the swift change in his father. He smiled at Zuko and seemed pleasant. Now he was back to criticizing Zuko. Yet he was smiling. No, now that Zuko looked, it wasn’t a normal smile. It was the smile Azula gave Zuko before she pushed him off the roof. The smile that was hiding danger.

Zuko felt his mouth dry and went to finish his tea when he noticed his father had not drunken any. The tea that he had drunken two-or was it three-cups of. The tea that smelt of Uncle but tasted like Azula. He didn’t want the tea anymore.

He could feel his heart beating faster as things started to click. His father wasn’t drinking any tea, tea Zuko had drank, his father gave orders to a crew that Zuko couldn’t say no to, his father was sending him away, his father called him worthless and stupid. He should have figured something out already. He didn’t think he liked any of this.

“Father, what’s going on?”

His father smiled more at him and it scared him so much. There was no happiness behind the smile. It was cruel and heartless. He shuddered to think what that smile hid. This was _his father_ but he was _scared_. He didn’t like it.

“Are you afraid Zuko?”

Yes! He wanted to scream. It would only make things worse. Don’t be afraid. Don’t look afraid. Don’t appear afraid. His father drilled into him over and over. He couldn’t admit that now. Instead he changed the topic. “You haven’t had any tea.”

“I want to enjoy what’s going to happen. I need to be fully awake for that.”

“The tea is drugged?”

“Just a little. No point in worrying with what’s in it. Be happy no one will hear your cries as you leave.”

His eyes widened in fear. This was his father. He couldn’t hurt him. At least, no more than the usual punishment. His father couldn’t hurt him more than that, could he? Not enough to cry, could he? But he drugged Zuko. That never happened before. He had to leave. He had to escape.

Taking in a deep breath, he stood and gave a proper bow. “Thank you Firelord for the tea. I must take my leave now.”

“Leaving so soon?” His father grabbed one of Zuko’s wrists. “I wanted to show you something. Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”

Zuko wasn’t able to say anything as his father pulled him towards the cabinet and opened a secret passage. Zuko did not want to go with him. If he wasn’t going through the normal hallways, it meant a secret. Secrets were never good. He tried to pull away from his father but Ozai tightened the grip. The familiar pain of burning flesh stabbed Zuko. “Please father, you’re hurting me.”

“Then you should listen and obey so you won’t be in pain.” Ozai snarled as he pulled Zuko down several hallways.

Zuko tried not to cry but the pain increased with each step. He could see the fire wrapped around his wrist under his father’s hand. Blood began to slide down his arm. He was afraid to look though he knew he was coming from his burning wrist. Father never hurt him this bad before.

“Father please…”

“Shut up!” Ozai slapped Zuko. “You never listen. You never learn. This is all your fault. I should have killed you when you were born. Things would be so much easier.”

The pain from his wrist was intense. The pain from the slap was burning. Zuko couldn’t tell if his father used firebending or not. The pain from his words were heartbreaking. It’s not that his father never said those words before-he had. Maybe it was the intensity of everything. Maybe it was being pulled down the hallway as if what was about to happen was a secret. The fact that his father could kill him and no one would know. He didn’t want to die.

“Are you going to kill me?” Zuko asked with tears in his eyes. Tears from pain or tears from fear, he couldn’t tell.

Ozai waited until he opened a door before answering. “I promised I wouldn’t kill you so you won’t die here. Don’t worry.”

Ozai pushed Zuko into the room and it took a minute for his eyes to adjust. It was dark except one flame in the corner where a strange man stood. He didn’t appear different from an average Fire Nation citizen-pale skin, yellow eyes, black hair, and average height and build-except for the scar running down the left side of his face from his eyebrow to under his chin. Zuko felt a shiver down his spine looking at the man. He was afraid and not because of the scar. His smile looked like a predator seeing easy prey in front of them. As if Zuko was his prey.

“Come here Zuko. There’s something I want to show you.”

Ozai stood on the other side of the room holding a small flame in his hand. It was the only light on that side of the room which gave Ozai an even more evil essence. Zuko wondered why Ozai didn’t light up the room more but figured it was because the way the light made him look or he wanted to hide something. He wasn’t sure which was worse. Still, he listened. He stood next to Ozai and waited. “Yes father. What would you like to show me?”

In a quick flick of the wrists, torches were lit all around the room. He was hiding something then. Something behind where Ozai stood. Something or someone who was injured if the blood on the floor was any indication.

“I thought you’d like to see your mother before you leave.” Ozai stood aside.

Zuko could see his mother dangling from chains, blood down her dress, burns through her skin, and her heart not beating. He didn’t realize he was screaming until his throat felt raw. She was cold, too cold. He tried to lift her chin but it dropped back down. She was dead. She couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t be! “What happened?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I killed her.”

Zuko felt rage burn through him and he wanted to burn his father like he burned his mother, like Zuko was burned. He tried to bend but nothing happened. He didn’t understand any of it.

“Did I also mention the tea had a bending suppressant in it? Couldn’t have you try to bend in anger like you’re doing now.”

“Why did you kill her?”

“It was our deal.”

“I don’t understand.”

“My father commanded I kill you. I was thrilled at the idea. Your mother found out and offered a deal. She would kill my father to save your life. Unfortunately, she didn’t think about herself or the fact I just can’t have a murderer-especially a Royal murderer-run free. She was caught during her banishment and well, the punishment is death.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“I’ll let you live as that was the deal. I never made a deal on how or where you will live. So Li here is going to take you far away where if you survive or not is up to you. If you don’t survive, I didn’t kill you but you’re dead so I’m fine with that. If you survive, you won’t ever come back here because if you do, I’ll make your life so miserable you’ll beg for me to kill you. Is that clear?”

Tears fell from Zuko’s face. How could his father be so cruel? What did Zuko do to deserve this? “Why are you doing this?”

That must have been the wrong thing to say as Ozai grabbed Zuko’s head and rammed it into the stone wall. Zuko was shocked and as he tried to process what happened, Ozai repeated the action. Before Ozai could do it a third time, Zuko pushed Ozai’s hands away. Zuko started to back away from Ozai. He felt liquid fall down his cheek and was sure it was blood. He did not want to look or know at that moment.

Zuko wasn’t able to get very far before Ozai created a fire whip and threw it at Zuko’s head. He could feel the burn on his face and the blood soon after. Another whip hit his shoulder. He let out a scream as the pain radiated his body. Another whip hit his left, hit his hip, his arm, his other arm, his leg, his leg again, his back, his back, his back. Zuko cried and screamed with each whip, begging and pleading Ozai would stop or someone would come save him.

“You can scream all you like, no one will hear you. No one is coming to save you.”

“Please stop! You’re hurting me!"

Ozai grabbed Zuko by his hair. “Hurting you?! I’ve barely touched you! It’s nothing compared to the pain I’ve had to deal with having you as a son. A worthless, spineless coward who can’t do anything right. No one wants you around. You’re better off dead. Your grandfather wanted you dead. I want you dead. Your sister wants you dead. Anyone else who might have cared is dead because of you. You won’t have a family ever again. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll find you no matter where you are. I’ll have you watch as I destroy everyone around you. And since you don’t learn, I’ll do it over and over again. Everywhere you go, everyone you speak to is another person you’ll kill.”

“No! No please!” Zuko begged. Ozai pulled Zuko’s hair tight and before Zuko could even blink, Ozai cut Zuko’s Phoenix tail. Zuko was speechless. This hurt more than the beatings. His hair, which symbolized his honor, was cut. It severed his connection to the Fire Nation. His father told him he was no longer Fire Nation. It didn’t matter that his hair was uneven now and in his face. It didn’t matter that he was bleeding and bruised and burned. His father thought him worthless as a citizen. “Father…?”

“I told you you were worthless. You can’t even be a good Fire Nation citizen, never mind a Prince.” Ozai pushed Zuko against the wall, hanging next to his dead mother. He held Zuko down by this throat and Zuko struggled to breathe. “You won’t remember much of what was spoken tonight,” Ozai said as he took a vial from his cloak and shoved the contents into Zuko’s mouth, “but no worries. I have it all written down for you so you can remember how pathetic you are.”

Zuko tried not to swallow the liquid but Ozai held a hand over his mouth. He couldn’t breathe unless he drank. He was so afraid of what it was and what would happen. Ozai pressed harder and closed Zuko’s nose to where Zuko had no choice but to swallow. Tears fell down his face, mixing with the blood, and his head started to pound. It was hard to keep his eyes open. It was hard to make things out. It was hard to hear things. He could still make out his father’s laughter. It echoed the room, swallowing him whole, until he heard nothing else. Until the darkness took over and he heard nothing and saw nothing.


	3. Let's have some fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozai plots. Li has fun. Zuko cries. Hakoda didn't ask for any of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this out much sooner but this past week has been rough for me. I couldn't do much for a few days. This chapter was also not going to be the most pleasant chapter either. It's rough. For the most part, the story will get better. There will be some drama and trauma going on, because of course there would be, and Zuko is probably going to have some issues later.
> 
> I was going to add more in about certain things but I just couldn't. So I'll probably hold off and maybe have some as flashbacks later on. Sprinkle in some drama.
> 
> I might have fudged a little on timing as well. Ursa left when Zuko was ten. Kya was killed when Sokka was nine and Katara eight. Which is about the same time. But then I was looking into it more and it seemed like Katara was seven. So I sorta have that it happened a few months back.

Ozai breathed a sigh of relief when Zuko finally stopped moving. If he didn’t have the vial of concentrated drugs, who knows when Zuko would have been knocked out. Yes Ozai wanted more bending suppressants and wanted Zuko awake enough to make his life miserable, but he still wanted Zuko out of it without using his vial. He supposed it didn’t matter too much. Zuko was leaving and Ozai still had a few more vials saved.

“Take Ursa to your ship. I’ll bring the boy back to my office. I’ll tell the servants he fell asleep. They’ll bring him to you. Can you carry him without anyone noticing anything?”  
  
“Of course.”

“Good. You’ll have an hour.”

Before Ozai could even blink, Li cut Ursa down from her chains and was moving her towards the door. He turned towards his own little problem-the unconscious brat. Ozai wanted to drag him back to his office and let every bump hit the boy, let his scraps fester, and corners bruise him further, but then his clothes would be filthy. While Ozai could cover up the beatings and the hair with a simple cloak, it would be hard to cover up the filth. His anger still blazed though. He was still so furious with this child, this scum. He wasn’t done burning him, branding him.

Ozai pulled at Zuko’s tunic and saw the mark some of the fire whips left. It wasn’t much and would probably fade in time. Unless…

Ozai smiled to himself. He still had time. He pulled Zuko’s tunic up so his full back was exposed. Channeling his anger, he made two small fire whips and let them hit where the others previously hit. His back was hit again and again and again. Two marks almost crisscrossing on his lower left back. The smell of burning flesh and the sight of blood grounded Ozai. To see the pain and suffering he caused. Now Zuko would have the mark much longer. Now he would be branded by his father.

He had no problem then taking the boy back to his office. He carried Zuko by holding onto the back of his tunic so that Zuko was bent over, hanging by his tunic. Blood was falling down Zuko’s body but it didn’t’ drip on the floor. If Ozai cared enough he would see blood was falling down Zuko’s body and pooling in his boots or getting caught in his hair-depending on where the blood was. Ozai didn’t care so it didn’t matter.

Once Ozai was back in his office, he grabbed some cloth he had in his desk and wrapped around Zuko. It would slow the bleeding for now. He didn’t care if Zuko bled, he just didn’t want blood on his floor. Blood was so much harder to get out of the floor. After he finished and set Zuko aside, he called for a servant.

“Prince Zuko has fallen asleep in his excitement. Bring in his bag and cloak to me. Have someone get the palanquin ready for Prince Zuko. Have a guard ready to carry Prince Zuko to the palanquin as well.”

“Yes My Lord.”

While he waited, he wrote a quick note to be added to Zuko’s bag. He wrote two notes to be exact. One to be hidden in Zuko’s bag and one to be placed with Zuko for him to read.

When the servants returned, Ozai placed the first note deep in Zuko’s bag. He wrapped Zuko in his cloak as best he could to hid the marks, bruises, and lack of hair. Satisfied, he stuffed the last note in a pocket. “Take Prince Zuko down to the harbor. There will be someone waiting for him.” Ozai dismissed the servants and guards.

Ozai felt a great relief when they left his office. After ten years, he would be free of the worthless, spineless scum that weighed him down. No more Zuko, no more wife, no more father, and no more Lu Ten.

Even though it wasn’t good for the Fire Nation, he was glad his brother withdrew from Ba Sing Se. It meant he was too emotional, too wak to pay much attention. He wouldn’t notice nor want the position of Firelord. Iroh would be malleable, easy to control. Ozai could find a way to get Iroh away from the Palace.

In the meantime, he needed to surround himself with more people who agreed with his sentiments. Speaking of, the first scroll he saw was a request for an audience with the Firelord from Zhao. Zhao was zealous and stupid at times, but he could be useful. Useful enough to make sure pests stayed away.

~~~~

It was in the middle of the night by the time they were exiting the Fire Nation. They cut it close, traveling between the Black Cliffs and Fire Fountain City, but it also cut off some time. Li was glad they also had a waterbender helping increase their speed. It was how they got from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation in record time. It wouldn’t be too long before they were close enough to dispose of the Prince.

For now, though, they had a Princess to get rid of. With the cover of night and land nowhere in sight, Li and his crew wrapped Ursa in chains heavy enough to sink and tossed her off the side of the ship. He nodded at Yutu to make sure Ursa fell down below deep enough to never come back up. A few movements later and Yutu nodded back.

“She’s covered in ice and sunk to the bottom.”

“Good. We’re making good on time. Hold off on the waterbending for now. We’ll check the progress later this week. In the meantime, there’s a Prince waiting for me.”

Li made his way down below to the cells with a pot of tea. He intended to enjoy his tea while he waited for the Prince to wake up. Li took the moment to look at Zuko. His wrists were in chains Li placed on as soon as he was brought on the ship. The key was deep in Zuko’s bag which sat in the corner by the door, away from Zuko. He had a few scraps and bruises on his body already. He would collect many more in the next few days. That was what his crew was waiting for. Killing was fine-they all had killed before. It was the sweet satisfaction of torture his crew enjoyed. That’s why they couldn’t travel too fast. If they were too quick, the fun was over. If it was too long Ozai would not be satisfied. A delicate balance had to be made.

A small moan escaped the boy followed by a cry. He was waking up and no doubt in pain. “Father…” A moment later Zuko moved around.

“Your father isn’t here boy.” Li stood next to the cell and noticed when Zuko opened his eyes. “You’re on my ship with my crew.”

Zuko sat up in fear. “What are you going to do?”

Li smirked. He recognized the fear in the boy. He loved that fear. “We are going to have some fun.” Li opened the cell door. “You like fun, don’t you?”

Zuko shook his head and backed up against the wall. “No. Stay away from me!” Zuko put his hands up to block an attack.

Li grabbed the chain and pulled Zuko’s hands above his head. “I thought your father said to listen to what we say. You should listen to the Firelord.”

Zuko let out a cry as his hands were pulled too far above his head. “What are you going to do?” Zuko repeated.

Li said nothing as he slammed Zuko down to the ground. Zuko tried to back away but Li was on top of him, holding down his legs. Li removed a small knife he had and cut at Zuko’s tunic. He leaned over the boy holding his knife above Zuko’s chest. “Most people want to cut deep and quick when they cut into someone. But not me.” Li inserted his knife into the boy’s chest and moved his wrist ever so slowly. “I find if you’re slow, you can cause so much more pain. Don’t you agree?”

Zuko was screaming, tears running down his face. “Stop. Please stop,” he begged.

“Stop? I’m just getting started.” Li moved his wrist a little more. He was drawing and Zuko’s chest was the canvas. Art cannot be rushed. “Your father gave my crew full permission to have fun with you. After I’m done, each one of my crew will do whatever they please. I must say, this will be the most fun we’ve had in a long time. Your father hasn’t allowed us this much freedom before.”

“Why? Why are you hurting me? Why are you taking me away? I’m the Prince…” Zuko whispered the last statement as if that would make a difference.

“You think being a Prince matters?” Li finished part of his design. He hesitated before continuing. “Let me tell you something, a little story if you will. My crew and I were all in prison expected to be executed. We’re from different nations, different backgrounds, but we all had one thing in common: we’re criminals. We steal, we kill, we torture, we burn-whatever we wanted. Your father found us all and saved us from execution. In exchange, we work for him. Your father was going to pay us to do what we were in prison for! It was a no-brainer for us. Any time your father wanted someone taken care of, we did it. If he wanted blackmail, we did it. If he wanted death, we killed. He wanted torture, we complied. It didn’t matter who it was. Your father was more important to us.

“A couple weeks ago, your father wanted us to go to the Earth Kingdom. Do you want to know why?”

Zuko’s heart began to race-Li could feel it under his hands. “What happened?”

“Your father commanded us to kill someone. Make it look like an accident, like it happened in a battle against earthbenders. A little poison to slow the body’s reaction time, a little more force with earthbending, and a wrong treatment can be a horrible combination. Before he died, I made sure he knew who sent us to kill him. We also killed those around him as well. Buried them underground, suffocating them. A few minutes later, brought some of them back up. It looks more like an ambush when the entire squad is dead. Also gave us an extra day or two to leave. Not that we need it. Yutu is a very skilled waterbender. He managed to get us back to the Capital in record time. Do you want to know who we killed?”

Zuko shook his head, tears falling from his eyes.

“It seems like you might know. Tell me who it is then.”

“No. You can’t. You couldn’t have killed him. Father wouldn’t command it. Father would-”

“Tell me who it is.” Li interrupted.

Zuko shook his head. Li repeated his command. “Lu Ten.” Zuko finally whispered. “You killed Lu Ten.”

“I did. He didn’t seem surprised his Uncle wanted him dead. With Lu Ten out of the way, your father has a better chance to become Firelord sooner. By the time the message came that he was dead, we were already in Fire Nation waters. The only people outside of this crew that know we killed Lu Ten who aren’t dead are your father and now you. You won’t be telling anyone about what I said though.”

“How do you know? What you did was wrong!”

“You won’t because if you do, we’ll have to kill everyone you told. The closer you are to them, the longer their deaths will be. You somehow manage to tell your Uncle, I’ll make him suffer more than Lu Ten did, more than you will. I’ll tell him you caused all the pain and suffering he’s facing. It’ll all be your fault. Do you want to deal with that?”

“No.”

So are you going to tell anyone?”

“No.”

“Good boy.” Li continued with his knife to make a few finishing touches. “There. All done.” A symbol of the Fire Nation was carved into Zuko’s flesh. “A reminder of what you no longer are a part of. A nation who hates you. A family who doesn’t want you. A reminder of the death that awaits you if you cross into Fire nation ever again. You and anyone else with you.”

Satisfied, Li stood up and exited the cell. “I’ll leave you now. Don’t worry. You won’t be alone for very long during this trip. Someone will always be with you. The next time you see me, you’ll be getting off. Until then.”

~~~~

Zuko tried to wait until Li left before he cried. The pain was horrible but it was nothing compared to what Li said. His father ordered the death of Lu Ten. After the past two days, it almost didn’t surprise Zuko-not after what his father said and did. It still seemed impossible. He wanted to escape, he wanted to be free of his cell and chains. He couldn’t. He had no key, no way of breaking free, and no idea where he was even if he was able to get off the ship. Then there was the other problem. The problem of the door opening to reveal someone new to torture Zuko. The problem that Zuko was not going to be alone. He had no chance of escape. He could only take whatever they gave him and hope it would be over soon.

As the days dragged on, Zuko’s punishment changed. He hadn’t been allowed to eat since arriving. He hadn’t slept much. If he passed out during torture, he was woken back up. Zuko didn’t realize how many different people there were until they came after him. Some were benders. Some were not. He didn’t know which was worse.

The non-benders beat him or cut him and laughed when he screamed or cried.

The earthbenders couldn’t do much with limited earth around. One earthbender brought in coal, tore it into tiny pieces and pelted it at Zuko. Little sharp needles picked at his skin over and over.

The firebenders weren’t much worse than his father-or tutors-growing up so it wasn’t so bad.

The waterbender though, he was the worst. The ice shards were bad enough. Then he froze the water around Zuko so he was in an ice cocoon. The cold was not familiar to Zuko and he felt it deep within his body. It was hard to think with the cold. He just wanted to sleep.

When Zuko thought he couldn’t take anymore, the ice was pulled away from his body. Zuko thought that would be all until the waterbender wrapped the water around his face, submerging Zuko’s head in water. Zuko started to panic-he couldn’t breathe! He tried clawing at the water but it was pointless. The water wasn’t in control, the waterbender was. Zuko couldn’t get close enough to make the waterbender to stop. After what felt like hours, the water was removed from his face and he coughed out until he felt his breathing under control. As soon as he recovered from the attack, the waterbender repeated the act. Over and over. Zuko cried and tried to beg but he couldn’t get a word out.

He wanted it to stop. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to be free. He wanted to be loved. He wanted his mother. He wanted his cousin. He wanted his Uncle. He wanted his father to not hate him. Like everything else in his life, his wants were pointless. In the past five days, all he had was pain. He almost wished Li would come back so he wouldn’t have to deal with the crew anymore.

It was early on the sixth day Zuko got his wish. Agni hadn’t even risen and Li was in his cell.

“One last parting gift for you.” Li smiled and pulled on Zuko’s arm. He yanked and used the back of his swords against the arm. Zuko heard a crack and snap and felt agony radiate throughout his body. He couldn’t scream as the pain was blending all together from the past few days. His throat was sore from screaming and crying so much. “Now tell me boy, are you going to tell anyone about what we talked about?”

Zuko shook his head. He remembered the conversation. He didn’t want anyone to go through what he went through. He would keep the past week a secret until the day he died if it meant saving someone.

“Good.” Li took out a small vial. Zuko knew what that was and he didn’t want it. “Now drink up.”

Zuko tried to struggle away from Li. He was too weak to fight much. Li held onto Zuko’s chin, forcing Zuko’s mouth open. He tried to pull on Li but the pain in his arm was too much. Something was broken. Like he was. Feeling defeated, he swallowed the liquid without prompt and waited until darkness took him. Darkness meant peace. Peace meant no pain. No pain meant love. Darkness was welcomed.

~~~~

Hakoda didn’t want to go fishing or hunting or anything. He wanted to still grieve for his wife. His wife that was murdered a few months prior in a Fire Nation raid. A raid that also took out some supplies. Which meant food was low. Which meant fishing and hunting. Half of the men went hunting while Hakoda took the rest fishing.

The day wasn’t horrible. They managed to catch a decent amount. To Hakoda it felt wasted. Focusing on the task, he couldn’t focus on his sweet wife. Perhaps this was what he needed. Bato told him enough that’s what he needed.

He wasn’t focused on what was going on around him so he didn’t notice what was in the water. Not until Bato mentioned it.

“Hakoda, what do you want to do?”

A small raft was floating in the water. On the raft looked like a small person and a bag next to them. From where he stood, Hakoda could see they didn’t have much on. What Hakoda focused on was the color. Red. They were Fire Nation. He didn’t want anything to do with Fire Nation. They killed his wife.

Hakoda could feel Bato staring at him. Neither one said anything as the raft came closer to them. Hakoda could tell when everyone else noticed the raft. Conversations stopped. Silence engulfed them. If Hakoda looked, he would see his men staring at him, waiting on the command of their Chief.

“Hakoda.”

Hakoda felt his anger blaze. He wanted to say ignore Fire Nation. Let them drown. That’s what they would do. That’s what they did. Burn until there was nothing left. The more he looked, the more he saw the person on the raft. Not a person-a child. A child that looked the same age as Sokka or Katara. No child deserved that no matter who they were.

“It’s a child,” Bato stated. Hakoda didn’t know if he was stating the obvious or trying to ground Hakoda. Maybe both.

“Bring them up. Once we find out if they’re alive or not, we’ll figure the rest out.”

It didn’t take long to bring the child up. Once they were on the ship, Hakoda looked at the child. A boy. Young. Body covered with cuts, scars, and bruises. Hands in chains. Thin clothes. Too thin for the cold. Dried blood coated the clothes. Hakoda felt sick. No child deserved to be tortured like this child was. That’s what it was-torture. Tortured and left to die in the freezing cold. If Hakoda hadn’t waited to bring the boy up, would it make a difference? If he agreed to go fishing sooner, would the boy have survived? Did Hakoda make the right choice in coming or the wrong?

His men now saw this poor boy in a horrible condition. If this was how they treated children, how did they treat all the prisoners they took? Hakoda felt disgusted at the thought. His people might have suffered worse than this boy had.

“He’s alive!” Bato exclaimed. “Not sure how well, but he’s breathing.”

Hakoda felt the tension ease around the men. “Get him to Atka! Quick! Maybe it’s not too late!” Hakoda prayed it wasn’t too late. He needed the boy to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to what I searched, Yutu means To Claw (fitting for the creep) and Atka means Guarding Spirit. 
> 
> Also, Hakoda got issues. He's gotta take care of his tribe, but he misses his wife and wants to sulk in peace. Bato like not today! Hakoda hates Fire Nation and wants to protect his tribe, but then he's a father and is just a loving guy. It's complicated.


	4. Hakoda, Let The Healer Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakoda asked for none of this. He's trying the best he can. He didn't ask for the young boy to be the Fire Prince. Or for him to have a panic attack after waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to lie. This was frustrating. It took way too long to get out. Every time I started on it, I ended up erasing and redoing the whole thing. Even though I knew what I wanted to put in this chapter. It's not entirely what I wanted, but I wanted to put something out so eh, here it is.
> 
> Also, Zuko does not have his normal scar because I wanted him to be awake on his boat ride for torture and having that scar would mean that he wouldn't be awake. Will he get it later on? Who knows. I keep changing my mind on plenty of things for this story-good and bad.

Atka was in his infirmary reading when his door flew open. He hoped it would be a quiet trip. (How much trouble could they get into while fishing?) He did not expect a half-frozen, bloodied, and burned child to be thrown down on the table.

“Found him in the water. He’s still breathing.” Bato said.

“We need to get his wet clothes off.” Atka started taking off the pants. He wondered how they were going to remove the tunic with the boy’s hands cuffed when Bato solved the problem by cutting the tunic apart.

“It’s ruined some already.”

“We need to find a way to get these cuffs off. I have a feeling there’s injuries underneath I’m not going to like.”

“Most likely not.” Bato rummaged through the small bag that was brought in with the boy. Atka continued with the boy and ignored Bato until he made a noise. “Look at that. Maybe this will work.”

Atka looked up and saw a key wrapped around a scroll. “It’s the best we got so far.” He took the key off the scroll and it fit perfectly. The cuffs came off the boy leaving behind scars and dried blood. “I’m surprised the key worked and was in the bag. Like someone wanted us to find it.”

“Or find the scroll.” Bato held up said scroll. “What do you think is on it?”

“Maybe it’ll tell us who this boy is. Maybe it’ll be a bigger problem than we want. Maybe it’ll lead us to victory against the Fire Nation.” Atka shrugged. They both knew the last one was a lie, but it was nice to pretend. “Either way, it’ll be the Chief’s problem. Not ours.”

“You know he’s going to make it our problem eventually.” Bato said before heading towards the door. “I’ll leave you to your work saving your new patient.”

Once Atka was alone with the boy, he did a quick medical glance over. His body was full of cuts, burns, and scars. Bruising on his chest and ribs-possibly a broken or cracked rib or two. A brand on his chest that looked close to infection. A very broken arm and possible broken or twisted leg. While all injuries were very bad and needed to be treated, nothing was bleeding at the moment. Those injuries could wait. Atka had to wrap the boy up in several fur blankets to prevent hypothermia. If he couldn’t keep hypothermia away, then taking care of any other injuries would be pointless on a frozen child. In the meantime, he gathered what supplies he would need when the boy was awake and warm enough.

~~~~~

Hakoda sat in his chair in his office. He didn’t know what to think about the boy they found. Even though they were heading back to the Tribe, it would still take time to arrive. The fishing trip was going to take three days and as the sun was setting, making it harder to see the ice at night, it would take close to a full day to arrive. Would that make a difference for the boy? Even if they were back at the Tribe, was there anything else they could do? Would that save him more than being at sea with Hakoda?

A knock broke him from his thoughts. “Hakoda?” Bato opened the door and stuck his head inside.

“Come on in Bato.” Hakoda sighed. What was the point of a door if Bato always ignored it?

Bato walked in, carrying the bag they found with the boy, and a scroll. “This was in his bag. The key to his chains was tied around it.” He handed the scroll to Hakoda.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” Hakoda asked. The only response was a shrug. He opened it up, started reading, and realized he was right. He wasn’t going to like it.

_-I should congratulate you on finding my worthless son._

_-It would be in your best interest to dispose of him quickly, like I did._

_-It would be a shame if he was found alive._

_-I would have to assume you kidnapped the Prince of the Fire Nation. As punishment, I would have to destroy everyone you know and love._

“Hakoda?”

Hakoda grimaced when he finished the letter and handed it to Bato to read. The letter was going from bad to worse. The child they found was none other than the Prince of the Fire Nation. Who had a letter from his father, the Firelord, to kill him-a child-or risk everyone dying. Hakoda knew the Fire Nation was crazy, but this was insane.

“What are you going to do Chief?” Bato asked when he finished reading.

“Not sure what I should do. I can’t kill a child, not after we’re going through all this trouble to save him. But I can’t risk the Tribe for him either. What am I supposed to do Bato?”

“We could wait until the Prince is awake, talk to him, and go from there.”

“You think he’s going to know why the Firelord wants him dead?” Hakoda asked and Bato shrugged. “He’s a child, Prince or not. He does not deserve his father telling him he should be dead. No, I’m not going to ask him why his father ordered him dead. I will talk to him when he wakes up. See what he knows.”

“If nothing else, you could drop him off in the Earth Kingdom. Kyoshi Island is neutral.”

“And then he would be their problem and I can’t send a child where he would be hunted or killed or be the reason for death.”

“Sounds like you made up your mind.”

Hakoda sighed. “I think I have. I won’t go through with it unless I have the Tribe’s support. They should know what we risk.”

“When we get back, I can arrange for a meeting.”

Before Hakoda could confirm one way or another, Atka opened the door. “Hakoda, you need to come quick. The boy is awake and on the shelf, refusing to come down.”

“What?” Hakoda yelled and stormed out his room, Bato and Atka following right behind him. “What’s he doing?”

“Chief, wait.” Atka caught up and pulled on Hakoda’s arm. “The boy has been injured, probably tortured, and he’s on a ship where he doesn’t know anyone. He’s probably frightened.”

Hakoda took a deep breath and nodded. He knew what Atka meant. Running into the infirmary angry would not be good for a scared boy. Because that’s what the Prince was-a scared boy.

Hakoda opened the door to the infirmary and saw Zuko on the top of the shelf with Tonraq trying to persuade Zuko to come down. Zuko had a blanket wrapped around him and his body still seemed to shake from the cold. His eyes were wide in fear. Hakoda wondered if Zuko was out of it or he knew what was going on. Chances were, he woke up, unsure of where he was, and panicked at the unknown situation. He must still be in a daze and rushed to get away from the strangers he perceived as a threat.

“Prince Zuko,” Hakoda started, hands raised in front of him in a gesture of surrender, “please come down from there. You’re still injured. You need medical attention.”

“No!” Zuko shouted. “You’ll hurt me.”

“I promise you, we won’t. Atka is our healer. He wants to help you. We all want to help you.” Hakoda took a couple steps forward as he spoke, one at a time. After one step, he hesitated, waiting for a reaction from Zuko. When he didn’t make a sudden movement, Hakoda took another step.

“Water Tribe. You’re Water Tribe.” Zuko curled into himself inside his blanket. “Waterbenders. You’ll drown me.”

Hakoda felt his heart break. Zuko was not saying it out of a fear of a bad teaching, but a fear of living through it. Hakoda could tell the difference, could see the panic in his eyes. “We’re not waterbenders. None of us here are waterbenders. The Tribe has had too many raids to have any waterbenders left.”

“None?”

“No Prince Zuko.” Hakoda was one step away from Zuko. He could grab him quickly if needed. “Please come down where we can help you.”

“You’ll hurt me.” Zuko shook his head.

“We only want to help.” Hakoda took one final step and grabbed Zuko. He held Zuko in his arms and carried him back to the bed. It might have been the wrong thing at the time and might cause Zuko to not trust them, but Zuko needed help. Hakoda would regret the decision after Zuko was healed.

“No! Let me go!” Zuko cried and struggled to break free. “Let me go!”

Hakoda held on tighter as Zuko thrashed around. “I’m sorry I had to do this Prince Zuko. It’s for your own good, I swear.”

“No, please no!”

“Atka, do you have something?”

It didn’t take long for Atka to go through his jars and return with a cup for Zuko. “Drink this Prince Zuko. It’ll help.”

“No, please. Don’t make me drink it! Don’t make me!” Zuko cried, tears falling down his face. He stopped thrashing and held closer to Hakoda. “I won’t fight. I promise. Please don’t make me drink anything.”

“It’s for the pain. I need to set your arm. It’s broken.” Atka said, still holding the cup.

“Please no.”

“If you drink this, I can heal your arm. I can heal your cuts. I can heal your burns. I can heal your… your chest.” Atka said, eyes flickering to Zuko’s chest for a brief moment. Hakoda wondered what was on the young Prince’s chest before deciding he didn’t want to know.

“You… you can?” Zuko sniffed.

“I can’t guarantee it’ll be perfect or the burns will completely disappear, but I can prevent infection. I can heal them so they won’t look horrible. Will you let me help you?”

Zuko nodded. “Okay.” Zuko took the cup with one hand and after a brief hesitation, he gulped it down.

“It wasn’t that bad, right?” Atka gave a small smile as he took the cup back.

“It didn’t taste like the bending suppressants Father gave me.” Zuko blinked twice before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Hakoda placed Zuko on the bed for Atka to heal him. Hakoda was about to open his mouth to thank Atka for his help when he slapped him. “Atka! What was that for?!”

“I told you to help me. Not make things worse.” Atka glared.

“He wasn’t calming down. He wasn’t coming down. I did what I thought would work.”

“Next time, Chief, when I tell you we have a terrified boy who was injured and tortured hiding away from us, I don’t mean grab him and hold him as he screams in terror. I mean help me talk to him to calm him down. The last thing I need is for you to injure him further.”

Hakoda took a moment to look at Atka before speaking. Maybe Atka was right that Hakoda didn’t think things through. He wondered if the premature gray hairs on Atka were because of him and his stupid, reckless decisions. “I got him down at least.” He stupidly defended.

Atka sighed. “Thank you for that Chief.”

Hakoda headed towards the door and nodded for Bato to follow him. “Tonraq, stay here and help Atka.” He left and closed the door before he could hear or see a response from the young man. Hakoda walked towards his room and waited until he was outside his door to speak to Bato. “I’m going to be in my room until we arrive back at the Tribe. If there are any problems, you will deal with them. Don’t bother me until we land.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.” Bato said. If it was anyone else, Hakoda might have said something. Since it was Bato, his second and best friend, he let it slide.

Hakoda closed the door behind him and sat down on his bed. He rubbed his face and let out a deep sigh. Things were going to be different from now on. He wondered what his kids and mother would think of Zuko. What Zuko would think of Katara, the only actual waterbender. What did he get himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The letter Hakoda read was not the full letter. I didn't like what I wrote so I just put in bits and pieces of it that would make sense.


	5. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrival back to the Tribe. A meeting is called. Zuko wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too many OCs!! I guess that's what's going to happen when you write a story in the Water Tribe and you only know three names besides the kids. OCs are bound to happen.
> 
> Also, I mentioned before Zuko was like ten in the fic because that's when his mother left. But I lied. He was eleven. So, yeah... That threw me off on a few things. XD At least I didn't have to have too much in my outline. Which I know most things I want to have later on, but I want to write them out in an outline to see if I want to change things or not. Because, for some stupid reason, I didn't realize writing a Water Tribe Zuko fic, I would end up writing into the series and guess what, things would be so different. I don't know why it didn't dawn on me. Like duh! I guess Ozai was just like, write me being evil, killing people! And I listened.
> 
> Also was going to write more, but it's been a while since I posted this and I need to do better with updating this story. Better to have a shorter chapter and hopefully another update sooner instead of waiting for who knows how long for me to add more.

By the time they pulled their boat back to land, Atka had Zuko wrapped and healed as much as possible. When Hakoda looked at the sleeping boy, he seemed more wrappings than boy. He was disheartened how a boy could be that broken at such a young age. By his father no less-either directly or indirectly.

“Atka, we’ve landed. I’ll carry him to my mother and we’ll figure out where he’ll sleep.” Hakoda said as he walked to the boy-Zuko, his name was Zuko.

“No.” Atka stood in front of Zuko, blocking Hakoda from grabbing him.

“No? What do you mean no?”

“Because you’re an idiot.” Atka glared at Hakoda. Hakoda heard Bato trying to cover up a laugh. He didn’t think it was funny. “You went to grab him after I told you not to. He’s injured and doesn’t need to be scared. Which is what you did.”

“I realize that wasn’t the best idea. However, I am the Chief and-”

“And should know better but will listen to the healer in these matters.” Atka interrupted.

Hakoda and Atka glared at each other for a few moments before Hakoda sighed. “Fine. I take it you will carry him in?”

“I will. I won’t tell your mother about what you did but I wouldn’t hold it against Bato to do the same.” Atka said as he picked up Zuko. He made a small groan in protest as he was being moved, but other than that, he was silent. If Hakoda didn’t know any better, he would have thought Zuko was dead.

Hakoda frowned but said nothing. He decided to lead the way to his home where his mother would be. He looked back once to see Atka and Bato following him. Atka held Zuko close to his chest with a blanket wrapped around his small body. Bato held Zuko’s bag, swords, and letters in his hands. Turning back around, he saw members of the Tribe coming out to great them, throwing curious glances their way. He wanted to stop and great each one of them. Instead, he focused on his task.

Once he entered his home, he was hit with the smell of a home cooked meal. His children ran up to him, excited to see him again. He lifted both of them up in his arms, not caring if they were getting too big to carry anymore. “Sokka, Katara, I’m so glad to be back home with you two. Have you behaved yourselves for Gran Gran?”

“Yes!” They both exclaimed.

“That’s good. I need to speak with your Gran Gran for a little bit now.” He kissed the both of them as he put them down.

“Who’s that?” Sokka pointed to Zuko who was wrapped up in Atka’s arms.

“That is what I need to speak to your Gran Gran about. Why don’t you and your sister find Tonraq?”

Sokka looked between Zuko and Hakoda and Hakoda could see the hesitation in his eyes before deciding to listen for a change. Sokka grabbed Katara and ran out the door with her. After the door was closed, Hakoda gestured to Atka to place Zuko on the table. He knew his mother would not be happy about a child being placed on the table where they ate but he needed her attention. She had been watching the three boys when they first came in and hadn’t said a word. She wouldn’t until he spoke.

“Mother, we found him in the water. Cold, abused, and broken. We brought him up and Atka has done what he can to help. I need to call a Meeting to discuss what to do. I was hoping you would be able to watch him while I spoke with the Tribe.”

“If Bato is going to call everyone for a Meeting, he should leave to let everyone know.” She said. Hakoda used his second in command for a lot of things, including gathering the Tribe together.

“Most already know about the Meeting.” Bato shrugged. “Those who don’t know, will by now. This time I don’t have to run around.”

Kanna hummed. She looked at Zuko, taking in his injuries, and running her fingers through his chopped hair. “He’s important?”

“Prince Zuko. Of the Fire Nation.” Hakoda said. He did not miss the way his mother snapped her head up or the way her eyes widened. “Sent out here to die by his father, the Firelord, if the letter accompanying him was true.”

“I see.” She nodded. “I will look after the boy while you speak with the Tribe.”

“Thank you mother.”

~~~~

The Meeting was not going well. Those that were able to come to the big dome they used for Meetings were there. Many suspected it was about Zuko. Or as they referred to it as, the small bundle Atka was carrying. Hakoda stated the facts about how they found the boy. How he was cold and tortured. How they rescued him and Atka did what he could to heal him. How he was young-so very young-and though he appeared Fire Nation, it was their duty to help those in need. All of that the Tribe agreed with. However, as soon as Hakoda spoke about the letter accompanying Zuko, that was when things went out of control. He hadn’t even read much of the letter. Only Zuko’s name, his father’s name, and how his father wanted Zuko dead. He didn’t get a chance to mention about what would happen if Zuko was found in their Tribe.

“We need a majority in one way or another.” Hakoda said, loud enough to be heard over everyone. “We need to decide if he should stay or should go.” After Hakoda stopped speaking, the voices of the Tribe were heard again. Each one voiced their opinion on the matter in one way or another. Some were not as pleasant as Hakoda expected them to be. Then again, this was the Fire Nation Prince he had.

“Where would he go to? He’s a child!”

“I say we turn him out! Let him try to survive!”

“Fire Nation has done nothing but bring us pain. The Prince should suffer like we’ve suffered.”

Hakoda tried not to think about how that sounded like him just yesterday.

“He’s too young. He won’t survive.”

“We could use him to our advantage.” The last comment shut everyone up and the speaker, Aput, continued. “If we were able to get him on our side and teach him our ways, we could use him to overthrow the Firelord and win this war.”

Cheers and murmurs of agreement were sounded. Hakoda was going to regret it, but he had to speak up. “That would be good except for the fact that if we are caught with Prince Zuko, we’ll be charged with kidnapping the Prince and there’s a chance our Tribe would be destroyed.”

“What?” Atka glared at Hakoda in shock. “What makes you say that?”

“It was in the letter sent with Prince Zuko. Along with some not very nice things said about the boy and more threats from the Firelord. It seems the Firelord wants Zuko dead but doesn’t want the burden of killing him himself. Instead, he’ll leave that honor to us and if we don’t, he’ll have the chance to burn us all.” Hakoda grimaced. He did not want to remember the letter any more than he had to. He had a feeling it was going to be ingrained in his mind for the rest of his life.

“Well, that’s not what I expected.” Atka said.

“What if no one knows Prince Zuko is here?” Tonraq asked.

“Explain.”

“We take care of Zuko, protect him and hide him. If the Fire Nation comes, which we’ll know by the black snow, then we’ll have Zuko hide. We’ll make sure no one mentions him.”

“Tonraq, you would be willing to have an ashmaker in our Tribe?! The Prince ashmaker at that?!” Cupun, one of the older Tribe members, snarled. He was known for his hatred of the Fire Nation so it wasn’t a surprise to hear his bitterness. It had been a surprise to hear Tonraq defend Zuko. It wasn’t long ago his twin, Tulok, was killed in a Fire Nation raid. Tonraq hadn’t been the same since and while he wasn’t as bitter as Cupun was, he still had hatred for the Fire Nation.

“You all say how we should kick him out but you haven’t even seen the kid. You didn’t see his scars, cuts, or burns. You didn’t see his terror when he thought we were going to kill him and not just because we’re ‘savages’ but because he expected that. You didn’t see the way Atka had to set his broken, twisted arm. You didn’t see the brand in his chest.” Tonraq shook his head. “Yes, he’s Fire Nation. Yes, he’s the Prince. But he’s also a child. A kid. He can’t be much older than Sokka. He’s already been through so much. He won’t survive anywhere else.”

Hakoda smiled listening to Tonraq. Not everyone would support Zuko or even like him. It didn’t matter. Hakoda would do whatever it took to protect Zuko. He would not let Zuko be hurt anymore. “Okay, let’s put it to a vote. If we keep the Prince, we protect him, hide him if need be. If we don’t keep the Prince, we’ll send him out to somewhere he can survive.”

~~~~

Zuko felt the fire nearby before he opened his eyes. He felt comfort and warmth around him. He smelt food, or what he assumed was food. It felt like home. Warmer than usual, but home. He opened his eyes and saw furs covering him as he lay on the floor next to the fire. A table with two kids and an old lady eating. Furs and bones covered the home in decoration and weapons. Where was he?

He tried not to panic as he sat up. He went to move the furs off of him and he noticed he had wrappings over his body and his arm was set in a temporary cast. At least the healer was honest when he said he would help Zuko.

“You’re awake.” The old lady smiled at Zuko and stood too close to him. “My name is Kanna. This is Katara and Sokka. My grandchildren.” She pointed to the kids at the table. Zuko didn’t know which one was which. Was Katara the girl? Or the boy? “My son brought you here.”

“Your son?” Was her son the healer? What was his name? Atlas? Atlon? Atka! That was it.

“Hakoda, the Chief.”

Oh. Oh no. The Chief was the one who grabbed him, who scared him. “No!” He cried out and backed as far as he could to the wall. He needed to get out of there.

“It seems my son did something stupid. I apologize for that. He has his moments.” The old lady-Kanna-sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you. I have some stew if you’re up to eating. If not, I would like to take a look at your injuries. Atka did what he could but I’m sure by now they need more ointment. Perhaps I can also help with your hair. Cut it so it’s even.”

“My hair…” Zuko reached up to touch his hair for the first time since his Father cut it. He almost forgot that his Father cut it, telling Zuko he had no honor and was not worth being Fire Nation. His long hair was now cut short in uneven strands. Some were past his neck while others too short to do much with. His hair, which he had pride in because of what it represent, was now ruined. “My hair.” He repeated as the tears fell from his eyes.

“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” Kanna reached out her hand but pulled it back. Zuko wasn’t sure if she wanted to comfort him or hurt him. The way the past two weeks had been, it could be either.

“My honor is gone.” Zuko said. He ignored the cries from the kids at the table. They wouldn’t know. They weren’t Fire Nation. “I’m not Fire Nation now.” Zuko sniffed. “Father cut it off.”

“Hair is important in the Fire Nation.” Kanna said and Zuko nodded. “It’s important to grow your hair out. It means you have honor, a home, and value. And now it’s gone.” Zuko nodded and felt the tears fall down harder. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Little Fire. I’m not going to take your honor away from you. I want to help you. Will you let me?”

Zuko looked up at this woman. She seemed so caring, so nice. So different than how his grandmother was. She thought her son did something stupid and had no problem admitting it. She didn’t seem dishonest. “Yes.” He said with a small smile.


	6. Don't Disrespect Kanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanna takes care of Zuko. Zuko introduces himself to Katara and Sokka with mixed results. Ozai plots and is generally a dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have been up over the weekend except I spent way too much time researching whether there are bathrooms and tubs in igloos. The result: mixed. Some say yes, some say no. Some say just a bucket. Some say more. So... yay? And I don't like how the Southern Water Tribe has mostly tents. They have to be freezing. So I'm giving them some igloos and putting bathrooms in some of them. Like Hakoda's since he's the Chief. (Chief means special privileges, right?) If someone knows more than I do, please let me know cause I have no idea!

Even though Zuko was hungry, he wanted to get out of what he was wearing and into decent clothes. Considering he was mostly wearing a blanket around him, it wasn’t much he had on. He didn’t want the clothes he had on when he left his home-not that it would matter as they had most likely been ruined from all the rips and blood. He wasn’t sure how much red he wanted to wear anymore either. Red meant Fire Nation. He wasn’t very Fire Nation anymore.

“Ma’am, may I change? And then you fix my hair? Please?” Zuko asked Kanna. She hadn’t given him permission to call her Kanna and he did not want to disrespect her. Disrespect led to punishment.

“Of course.” Kanna smiled. “You can call me Kanna, if you like. Or Gran Gran.”

“Thank you M-Kanna.” He gave the Fire Nation bow with the flame as best he could sitting down.

“Come on, let’s get you warmed up now.”

Kanna picked Zuko up and carried him to the back to where the restroom was. It was a small area with the tub taking majority of the space. The whole space was smaller than Zuko’s tub back at the Palace. Once the water was filled, Zuko entered the tub and pretended not to hear the gasp from Kanna. He knew he was a mess. He knew he was covered in cuts and scars and bruises.

Neither one spoke as Kanna cleaned Zuko. He was in too much pain to try do much of anything himself. Everything hurt but the warm water helped relax him. The more Kanna scrubbed at him, the dirtier the water became. Dried blood that was caked on cleared away to reveal scarred skin. After he was deemed clean enough, Kanna pulled him out and dried him off. She trimmed his hair so that it was even and pulled it back in a small ponytail. It wasn’t enough for a Phoenix tail or a topknot and it wasn’t a wolf tail like the Water Tribe men wore. It was almost a combination of all and yet, looked nothing like any of them. It was a Zuko hairstyle that showed no relation to any Nation as he was no longer part of any Nation.

“Here, I have some clothes you can wear. They were Sokka’s old clothes. You’re smaller than he is so they should fit. They’re work for now until we can get your own.” Kanna handed Zuko a small pile of clothes. With his arm still wrapped up, she helped him dress, careful of the arm. In the end, he was dry, clean, warm, and looked like an odd combination of Fire Nation and Water Tribe.

“Thank you Kanna.” Zuko gave a small smile.

“Now that you’re dressed, why don’t we put some food in you?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she led him to the table where Katara and Sokka were sitting. They appeared to be whispering to each other but stopped as soon as Zuko and Kanna came into view. Zuko wondered if they were whispering about him. Probably. Kanna sat Zuko across from the boy, who Zuko still wasn’t sure what his name was.

“Who are you?” The boy asked.

“Sokka!” Kanna cried. “Be nice.”

“What? I want to know. There’s nothing wrong with asking who he is Gran Gran.” The boy, Sokka, said. At least Zuko knew which one was which now.

“My name is Zuko.”

“That’s an odd name.” Sokka scrunched his nose. “What kind of name is that?”

“It’s Fire Nation.” Zuko felt a twinge of annoyance at how Sokka spoke of his name and his home. They were the ones who were supposed to be savages. At least that’s what Zuko had been taught from his tutors.

“Fire Nation?!” The girl, Katara, screamed. “You’re Fire Nation?”

Zuko blinked at her, unsure of what the problem was. “Yes.” He thought about what his Father said about him not being Fire Nation. “Or I was. I don’t know if I am anymore or not.”

It didn’t seem to satisfy Katara as she ran out the room screaming and crying. Zuko wasn’t sure what he did or said to cause such a reaction. The Fire Nation was the greatest Nation out there. Why would anyone scream after what he said?“It’s not your fault Little Fire.” Kanna said as she placed a bowl in front of Zuko. “The Fire Nation raided our village recently and killed their mother. Katara is still recovering from that.”

Zuko thought about how he had witnessed the same thing less than two weeks prior. How horrible it was to see his mother burnt. How Katara must have seen the same thing if Fire Nation killed her. “They killed my mother too.” He whispered.

“I’m sorry.” Kanna said. “The war has taken much from everyone. Too much from ones so young.” She kissed his forehead. The small gesture reminded him of his mother and it made him miss her so much, he could feel the tears form in his eyes. He blinked a few times so he wouldn’t cry. He’d done enough of that for now.

Zuko took a small spoonful of the stew to try it out. It was saltier than he was used to. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t like the foods back home. Or back at the Palace. It had no spice to it. It was richer than he was expected-far richer than he could handle after a week of abuse and lack of food. He’d only taken three spoonfuls before he felt it come back up.

“Ew!” Sokka screamed.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Zuko cried out. His Father would have punished him severely if he wasn’t able to hold down his food. He didn’t want to know what the consequences would be here for wasting food. “I’m sorry!”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Kanna frowned. “I shouldn’t have given you that just yet. Broth would have been better. I’m sorry.” She cleaned up his mess and wiped away his tears. He didn’t understand why she was so nice about the situation. Unless the punishment was later. When no one was looking. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry.” Zuko didn’t know what else to say but to repeat the same phrase. Ozai hated him apologizing, but it was all Zuko could do at the moment. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. You’re not in trouble Little Fire.” Kanna held him close in her arms. He felt safe and warm. He felt like he could trust her. She rubbed circles in his back and hummed a strange tune. It was soothing and relaxing. Zuko felt himself calming down and tears stopping. He blinked a few times before the desire to curl up in her arms and fall asleep took over. He was safe with Kanna.

~~~~

Hakoda walked back from the meeting feeling a little bit better. It had been decided Zuko would stay with the Tribe and they would protect him the best they could. He hoped it wouldn’t be a mistake.

Opening the door to his home, he saw his mother holding Zuko and humming to him, Sokka was eating, and Katara was nowhere to be found. He recognized the tune she was humming and missed hearing it himself. “How is he?” Hakoda asked his mother.

“He made a mess.” Sokka butted in before Kanna could speak. Hakoda resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his son.

“Did he now?”

“Yep. All over the table.”

“Sokka, why don’t you make sure Katara had enough to eat. She left quickly, she might still be hungry.” Kanna said and pointed to the only bowl left on the table.

“How come she gets to eat in her room?” Sokka whined. “It’s not fair!”

“Because I have to speak with your father.” Kanna glared at Hakoda. He suddenly wished he was switching places with Sokka.

Sokka looked between Hakoda and Kanna. He grabbed the bowl, filling it with more stew. “Someone’s in trouble.” He muttered as he ran to the back. Hakoda had a feeling his son wasn’t lying.

“Mother.” Hakoda started as soon as Sokka left the room. “The Tribe decided that Zuko should stay.”

“What did you do?”

“I figured he could stay here since Katara and Sokka are about his age. He might like that.” Hakoda said, ignoring his mother’s question. “If not, Bato said he could take Zuko.”

“Hakoda.” She warned.

“Atka wouldn’t mind having him either. Of course, if he stayed with Atka, he would end up Atka’s apprentice.”

“Hakoda!” She used her ‘mother’ voice. He hated that voice. “What did you do? I’m not asking again.”

“I’m not sure what you are referring to mother.” He avoided eye contact with her. If he couldn’t see her, he couldn’t answer her.

“This boy was afraid of you when I mentioned your name. I don’t see how he is going to stay with us if you did something stupid. So, what was it?”

“I may have grabbed him while he was hiding so Atka could heal him. While he was having a panic attack.” Hakoda gave a small smile in attempt to make things seem better. (They weren’t.)

“Hakoda!” She sighed. “Sometimes I’m not sure what to do with you. You do know you’ll have to make things right with him. He’s a scared boy. He doesn’t need to be afraid of you."

“I know. I’m sorry mother.” Hakoda looked at the sleeping boy in his mother’s arms. He looked so peaceful and quiet. So small and broken. “How is he doing?”

“I gave him a bath.” She blinked and looked away. “I wasn’t expecting so many scars, so many burns.” She shook her head. “He was able to fit into Sokka’s old clothes but he needs some of his own. He tried to eat but he couldn’t stomach it. He’s going to need broth.”

“You think it’s because of the abuse or because of starvation?” Either answer wasn’t a good one in Hakoda’s opinion.

“Both maybe. There’s something else. When he was sick, he apologized like it was his fault. He seemed afraid almost as if he would be punished for being sick. I don’t like what that means Hakoda. He’s going to need love. Lots of it.”

Hakoda took her words to heart. He didn’t like what it meant either. With the letter that was sent, he shouldn’t be surprised. The letter he hadn’t told his mother about and he had his way, his mother would never find out about. If she did, she would make it her mission to find the Firelord and give him a piece of her mind. (For a brief second, Hakoda almost felt sorry for the Firelord.) “I’ll put him to bed.” Hakoda opened his arms in order to take Zuko from his mother.

“You’ll put him in my room. He’s comfortable with me right now. He’ll sleep in my room tonight.” She glared at him.

He didn’t even bother attempting to argue with her. It wasn’t worth it and he would lose. “Yes mother.”

~~~~

It didn’t take long for Lee to arrive back in the Fire Nation and into the Palace. He waited outside of Ozai’s office for the opportunity to speak with him. Not like the guards would be able to see Lee as he knew where to sneak around. Not to mention, it was dark out, which led to more opportunity to hide in the shadows.

“I take it the trip was a success.” Ozai said, stepping out onto the patio.

“Very. The traitor is deep beneath the waters. The worthless one has been abandoned. It’s my understanding he’s with the Southern Water Tribe.” Lee said, using the code names in case of spies.

“It would be a shame if he was discovered there.” Ozai smiled. “The Water Tribe would be destroyed for the role they play.”

“Would you like me to attack?”

Ozai sighed. “No. As much as I would want that, I must hold off. However, I will want you to work with someone. You and some of your crew will be working with his crew in the Navy.  
  


“Oh? Who would we be working with?"

“Zhao. Currently it’s Captain Zhao. He’s due for a promotion though.”

Lee heard of the ruthless man. He was driven and determined and full of himself. He desired power and would do whatever it took to achieve his goals. “I would be honored to work with Zhao.” Lee bowed as he was dismissed and left.

~~~~

Ozai waited until dinner was served before he dismissed the servants and guards. He needed to speak with his daughter and he didn’t want anyone listening. He was sure there still would be someone eavesdropping, but that would be for later. “Azula, do you know why you’re alone?”

“Father?” She blinked at him. “You sent the guards away?”

Ozai rolled his eyes. His daughter was smart, talented, and perfect. Yet, right now, she was stupid. “No. I mean your mother and Zuko are no longer here. Do you know why?”

“Zuko went to firebending training with a new teacher.”

At least she knew the correct answer to give. “You have a talent for sneaking around and eavesdropping.”

“Yes Father.”

“What you lack, daughter, is silence.” He snarled.

“Father? What do you mean?”

“The next time you hear a plot to murder your brother, it’s best if you don’t tell him or your mother. Especially if it’s from me. Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand Father.” She frowned. “Don’t you have what you wanted?”

“What I wanted was to get rid of a worthless son.” He spoke low so it would be hard for anyone else to hear. “I hope I don’t have to do the same to a certain daughter of mine.”

“No! You don’t!” She widened her eyes. “I shouldn’t have said anything to mother. I’ll be careful.”

“Good. From now on, if you hear something, you will tell me everything. Understood?”

“Yes Father.” She opened her mouth and closed it. Ozai hated the hesitation and almost snarled at her to speak her mind until she opened her mouth again to speak. “Father, is Zuko… dead?”

“No. He’s not.” Ozai sipped his wine. “He’s at firebending training.” He stared at Azula, daring her to say anything else. Azula nodded and continued eating her meal. Ozai enjoyed the silence. This was why not having Zuko around was more enjoyable. He was always around, always being, always trying to make things better. If he was better, he wouldn’t have to try so hard. So much for being a descendant of Avatar Roku. Azulon said the marriage to Ursa would bring strong benders. It hadn’t and Ozai had to suffer with worthlessness. At least now he was free from all those that brought him down.

~~~~

Ozai was sitting in his office when Zhao came in. Ozai thought him a fool and bumbling idiot, but he would be able to get the job done. He was ambitious and would do whatever his Firelord asked of him. That’s all Ozai cared about.

“Firelord Ozai, it is an honor.” Zhao bowed.

“Captain Zhao. I’ve heard of your enthusiasm and zeal and I must commend you. I have a mission for you. A pest of mine has been sent out. I want you to find it and destroy where it is.”

“A pest sire?” Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Forgive me, but I’m not sure I understand.”

“Let me make it clear. Prince Zuko has left. He should be in the Southern Water Tribe. I need you to find him and destroy the Tribe. Kill them, arrest them-I don’t care. If he’s there, make sure there is nothing left. This would be the perfect opportunity to destroy the Southern Water Tribe once and for all.”

“And what of the Prince? What should I do with him?”

Ozai smirked. “I’m sure there will be no problem drowning the boy. I’ve heard you want to invade the Northern Water Tribe. With Prince Zuko’s kidnapping and untimely death, the people will be begging for the Water Tribe to be destroyed. Don’t you agree… Commander Zhao?”

Zhao smiled. It was too easy to bend Zhao to Ozai’s will. “Tragic, Firelord, about your son. I’m sure he was brave and lasted long against those savages. It's a shame he was beaten so viciously and drowned.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback is appreciated as well.


End file.
